R&B / Funk Standards?

Who woulda thought? I'm just joking here. I come from a jazz guitar background and and know that there are jazz standards. I recently went to a funk jam with my bass. I got there and realized I didn't really know any common funk/soul/R&B standards. I've been told that Cissy Strut, the Chicken, I Feel Good, are some common examples. Can some others name some more? I'm just looking for the most common 10 or so that I can focus my energy on.

PS just checking out Chaka Khan's first solo album "Chaka". Some crazy bass playing. Makes me wanna quit. Or practice. Whatever. "We Got The Love", "I Was Made to Love Him". AJ is just making a mockery of the changes.

I know a lot of guys who make a very good living by knowing the same 40 R&B standards. Funny that it's all stuff that was popular to urban R&B fans in the late 70s to mid 80's and somehow you can make a living playing it at the weddings of people who were born around that time.

Yep... it's amazing what you have to play to get paid... The usual suspects...Brick House (Commodores), Let's Stay together (Al Green),Love and Happiness (Al Green) Celebrate (Kool and the Gang), Pick up the pieces (AWB) , Goodtimes/Sugarhill Gang (Chic), For the Love of you (Isley Brothers), Let's Get it on (Marvin Gaye), What's Going on (Marvin Gaye), I wish (Stevie Wonder)

hey did anyone mention "Jungle Boogie"? how about anything from the Parliament/Funkadelic, Chic, Average White Band, or Ohio Players catalogs? if you want to learn some greasy funk, come to any funk jam in New Orleans!

hey did anyone mention "Jungle Boogie"? how about anything from the Parliament/Funkadelic, Chic, Average White Band, or Ohio Players catalogs? if you want to learn some greasy funk, come to any funk jam in New Orleans!

from the depths of groove,

Stew

Click to expand...

NOW we're talkin bass!

Add to those: Lakeside, Slave, Cameo, Sly, et al. A lot of these aren't "standard"...but then again it depends on where you're playin'. There have been numerous times we'll pull out "Knee Deep" by Parliament and the floor gets packed with "that's my jam!!!"

In my vast listening experience, most bass players do not play "Mustang Sally" correctly. I've heard tons of players try to make it "a little hippper" by adding some extra notes and totally destroy the groove.

I saw Cameo @ house of blues in Chicago. Bass player was great. Runs all over the stage (Drugs??). Most people were about my age 47 now. It was cool I swear the whole biulding was moving in time. Oh yeah I think I was 1 of 5 white guys in the place, but it was all good and cool. Word Up